Everyone has heard of the advantages of exercising. Many health and mental benefits have been discovered and published in news articles. New studies, however, reveal how detrimental not exercising is. Dr. Wael Jaber said, “We’ve never seen something as pronounced as this and as objective as this.”

Students were surveyed to see if they work out or not. 45% of the students said they did not exercise at all. Many teens in school would not exercise if not for school sports. Ally Hayes said, “I play volleyball, and I like the feeling of having worked out. Plus, I want to be stronger than everyone so maybe it’s a competitive thing.” Karmen Romero said, “I exercise to stay fit and be healthy and stay conditioned for soccer.”

Others are involved in school organizations that require some for of physical activity. Gracie Beck said, “Yes, because I am in color guard and competition guard. I have that class 5 day a week, after school practice 3 days a week, games Friday, and practice or competitions on Saturdays.” Madison Carter shared, “I have to because of JROTC. Tuesday and Friday are PT days.”

Many who do not participate in organized sports or extracurricular organizations end up not exercising at all, but the risks of no activity are great. Dr. Jaber said, “We all know that a sedentary lifestyle or being unfit has some risk. But I’m surprised they overwhelm even the risk factors as strong as smoking, diabetes or even end-stage disease.”

People have become accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle of sitting in front of the computer whether it’s for work or for pleasure. Bree Soto shared, “I never have time to go out and exercise. If I could, I would. I do try and go for walks whenever I have the chance, but other than that I’m sitting around.”

Another reason people are not exercising is their busy lifestyles. Teens are put under a tight schedule at times because of schoolwork and other activities outside of that. Aliyah Johnson said, “I don’t have the time to exercise before or after school, and during the weekends I’m too busy studying or I’m physically exhausted from the week.” 

Many think the reason for not exercising is because people aren’t as interested in it. Brandon Clark said, “I do not exercise because I do not have the motivation to do so. I know it is healthy and makes a fun activity, but I just do not want to.”

How can students combat time issues and a lack of motivation? Bob Jones teacher and Cross Fit enthusiast Mrs. Scott advised to “find some form of exercise that you enjoy and you are more likely to stay with it. Exercise should be something that you look forward to and not something that you dread. Try different activities and then find something you like. You should start slow in any exercise program and learn the activity to avoid injury.” 

Mrs. Faris, another Bob Jones teacher, said, “My favorite are HIIT workouts…High intensity interval training. I like to lift weights, but add cardiovascular endurance to the equation. For those starting: Be patient and try different things. You will be sore…keep going back. The soreness will go away and changes will occur. The younger you are the quicker your body responds. It’s easier to lose weight, develop speed and strength. Find someone to join you. Accountability helps!  Most importantly… have fun with what you do.”

Overall, exercise needs to be a larger priority in everyone’s lives and this results of this new study shows that.